The present invention generally relates to a safety control apparatus which is adapted to detect the presence or absence of passengers on the seats in a moving vehicle such as an automobile, train, passenger plane or the like, the physiological mental state such as arousal level, tension degree or the like of the passenger so as to control the driving operation of the above described moving vehicle for maintaining the safe operation of the above described moving vehicle.
If the presence of the passengers can be detected, the empty seats of trains, passenger planes, buses and so on can be investigated and the unfastened condition of seat belts can be determined. The solar heat accidents with respect to infants left behind within the compartment in the summer time can be prevented from occurring. The safe operation can be effected if the physiological mental state such as arousal level, tension degree or the like of the passengers can be detected. For example, dozing while driving can be prevented, or the vehicle can be stopped by the detection of an abnormal physical or mental condition during the driving of the vehicle.
The conventional presence (hereinafter referred to as passenger present) detecting means in this type of safety control apparatus is shown hereinafter. In, for example, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,485, the presence detecting means is a seat switch with a pressure sensitive conductive material 1 being disposed between electrodes 2 and 3 as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a line I--I of FIG. 1. When the human body sits on the seat switch, the pressure due to the physical weight is applied to the pressure sensitive conductive material 1, and the resistance value of the pressure sensitive conductive material 1 is lowered. In the construction, the electrodes 2 and 3 become conductive so as to detect the presence of the human body. There is a problem in that the resistance value of the pressure sensitive conductive material 1 is lowered by the weight of an object even when an object is placed upon the seat switch so that the electrodes 2 and 3 become conductive so as to effect the mistaken detection. The same problem is seen even in the presence detecting apparatus of, for example, G.B. Pat. No. 2,201,820.
In, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,013, an electrode 4 is set in the indoor roof, and an electrode 5 is set on the seat as shown in FIG. 3. A change in the electrostatic capacity of the capacitor formed by the electrodes 4 and 5 is detected so 10 as to detect the presence. In such a construction, mistaken detections are effected, because the electrostatic capacity of the above described capacitor is changed if a person sitting on the next seat swings his arm over the seat with the electrode 5 contained within.
In the conventional safety control apparatus, a passenger can not be accurately detected, with a problem in that errors are caused.